The following is an excerpt of a letter from Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche to the sangha that appeared in the Fall 2002 issue of The Wind Horse.

My life has been very quiet lately, without the usual outer events to provide a focus for my inner reflections. Rather, my reflections spark momentarily in the sky of my mind, and then disappear.

Still underneath this spaciousness, I find currents of deep disquiet over what is evolving in the world. We seem to be living in the presence of an invisible razor-sharp sword whose blade could suddenly slice through existence as we know it. As practitioners, we should neither deny its presence, nor yield to anxiety and fear, but rather use it to whet the precision of our choices, the keenness of our skillful means.

Specifically I urge you to pray strongly to Guru Padmasambhava, who promised that to those who supplicate him he would come like a father to his children, especially in the darkest of times. He foresaw and prophesied everything. Also, pray to Arya Tara, the passion and wisdom to alleviate the great fears of beings trapped in cyclic existence. Pray that the hard-heartedness and righteous anger that are so prevalent soften, and that moral discipline, patience, and virtue hold sway.

Each of you has accepted a level of commitment in your individual dharma practice. Strengthen it! Each of you has a connection to the lama or senior student who guides your sangha. Nurture it! Each of you abides, by fortunate karma and brilliant choice, within the interdependent web of our sangha. Uphold your position as a practitioner and support that of others!

Most important, each of you has become an heir to the treasures of Guru Rinpoche and Red Tara, my precious lineage legacies to you. I strongly encourage you to make excellent use of these jewels, for the benefit of all beings,